about mark

mark laurie

Mark offered the first nude & boudoir photography studio in Calgary and remains the best. His imaginative portraits expand beyond the typical “lingerie and satin sheets” boudoir. Mark’s creatively passionate presentation of women has earned him the honour of being the most awarded photographer in his niche in Canada. Possibly North America.

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Why I Shoot Boudoir Photography

Why I Shoot Boudoir Photography

Why I shoot Boudoir Photography

This may be hard to imagine, but at one time, boudoir photography was not an option for women in western Canada. Inner Spirit Photography was the first studio in Calgary to offer boudoir photography exclusively. This was 41 years ago.

I can still recall my first client’s faces and their reactions when they first saw their prints. They were thrilled at how beautiful they looked.

boudoir, lingerie in satin bedroom set very romantic
Lingerie pose on our satin bed

Then they started talking about how powerful and confident it made them feel. How the images portrayed their true selves.

This was especially moving for women who had been through trauma.

That thrilled me. It brought a whole new creative vision to my work and clients. I wasn’t just refining my craft for beautiful images. I was creating an experience, bringing life changes and new perspectives to each person who crossed the threshold of my studio.

Boudoir photo blonde woman laying on rose petals with breasts show cleavage
Rose petals are amazing to pose in.

Then a psychiatrist from the Calgary General Hospital started doing studies on my approach. CBC news did a 20-minute news special following newspaper interviews with my clients. I knew then that what I was doing was powerful and important. It was my calling.

I even started training photographers on how to photograph boudoir. There was a time when I had taught over 90% of the photographers offering Boudoir Photography in Canada. Such was my commitment.

My studio name, Inner Spirit Photography, was developed to reflect that we go deeper than just the surface that is visible in a photograph. I wanted to touch women’s souls with my images, their experiences.

Silhouette of woman by mark Laurie
From Boudoir session, woman poses in dramatic silhouette.

Women are extraordinary. They deserve unique options. Exciting choices beyond the usual boudoir. We have created underwater mermaid sessions, fire sessions, body painting, plus light painting. Creating digital artworks, intimate books, oh the list goes on.

To give women everything they wanted and deserved I attracted a team to support these dreams, people with mad skills. There are makeup artists, hairdressers, pyrotechnicians, shibari artists and body painters. All sorts of dreams were imagined and realized!

boudoir lingerie style blonde woman in glasses
Glasses make a cool prop in our boudoir session

I wanted to support our community of women. So Inner Spirit became involved in charities from the start. So far, we have donated services and images worth over $512,000 over our 41 years.

My why has matured over time. My shared purpose became the template for nearly every boudoir photographer’s “why.” To empower women, enrich their confidence, to encourage body love by letting them see how amazing they are inside and out. We often help them find their sexiness again.

My passion for my purpose has developed some unique support for women. We became the only studio to guarantee that they will be thrilled with their experience and love their images or we will return their session fee. Women can feel secure that they will get the very best.

High Key boudoir pose of woman on her back
Classic pose, always graceful

I felt this life-changing experience should be available to any woman, so I created the first layaway plan for photography clients. We tailor the program to each woman’s circumstances and needs with no interest or hidden fees.

My love for my craft of boudoir photography and what it delivers to women is focused. You won’t find that we have added it to a wedding or child photography business.

If a woman wants to push her limits, the photographer needs to, too.

I love what I do because I love to make a difference in a woman’s life.

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